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In business, branding works. From sticking a picture of Luke Skywalker on a lunchbox to Beyoncé putting her name on a perfume bottle, it pays to get a familiar name associated with a product. Casinos, both online and land-based, know this to be true, and it has caused a flurry of celebrity-branded to be created over the last decade.
In Business Branding Works
From sticking a picture of Luke Skywalker on a lunchbox to Beyoncé putting her name on a perfume bottle, it pays to get a familiar name associated with a product. Casinos, both online and land-based, know this to be true, and it has caused a flurry of celebrity-branded to be created over the last decade.
Perhaps the most famous of all is the Ellen slot machine, which you can usual find scattered among the gaming floors in the big casinos in Las Vegas. Yet, online you will find that some of the most popular slots in Canada are based on TV shows. A selection of officially licensed slot games out there includes: The X-Files, Britain’s Got Talent, Game of Thrones, The Sopranos, American Dad, the Love Boat and countless others.
Branding Works Well for Casino Games
It’s easy to see why games developers do this: A player is more likely to be attracted to a slot machine featuring the image of Tony Soprano or Dana Scully than they would be to one featuring generic symbols – bars, bells, cherries etc. It’s basic marketing theory, and a general consensus that any type of celebrity endorsement, even if it is not intentional, boosts a product in terms of exposure and sales.
There is, however, another aspect to consider; namely, the quality of the product. Those who own the rights will want some sort of guarantee that their intellectual property is well presented, lest it taint the source material. Indeed, it’s no coincidence that Playtech, one of the most well-know creators of these types of movie and TV slots, labels them as premium-branded games. “Premium” is key, because there is an inference of striving to create something better than the norm.
What, then, do we mean by better quality? Unfortunately, that doesn’t necessarily mean the casino game pays out more money than other non-branded games. Instead, it’s about the overall experience. For example, the American Dad slot features lots of new animations and sequences of the main characters, each of whom have a special bonus game that can be triggered during play. It’s premium in the sense that the game offers more entertainment than spinning the reels and hoping to land a few bell symbols on a payline.
The Sopranos’ Footage Drives the Game’s Narrative
The Sopranos slot is another good example. With the show celebrating its 20th birthday, fans never seem to tire of seeing its material. The slot uses several real clips from the Sopranos to drive the ‘story’ of the game forward. For instance, there is a bonus game – the Bada Bing Bonus – where characters enter Tony’s office to earn cash for you. This is all spliced with real scenes from the series.
Over the last few years there seems to have been an upsurge in the number of TV-themed slots. The same goes for movies, music stars and video games. It gives games developers a fertile source material to create themes for games, rather than going back to the old stalwarts of casino themes – fruits and 7s, ancient Egypt etc. The reason that you should expect more is that the early roll-outs have worked. Branded-slots are usually given top-billing at any online casino, and players tend to love them. Don’t be surprised if there is a new slot game based on your favorite show released soon.
